Sri Lanka Parliament to elect president, Ranil Wickremesinghe faces heat of protesters

Sri Lanka Parliament will on Wednesday vote for the new president to succeed Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled the economically torn island-nation amid protests to avoid detention. It is reported that the Sri Lankan Parliament will choose between three candidates for president – including acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe, ruling party lawmaker and former journalist Dullas Alahapperuma, and Anura Kumara Dissanayaka from the leftist Janatha Vimukti Peramuna party.

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Protests have erupted in the crisis-hit island on the eve of elections against the island’s prime minister and acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe. The protesters still want him to resign despite his efforts to convince them that he had distanced himself from the Rajapaksa administration.

It is reported that the Sri Lankans held protests against the acting president outside the Colombo railway station. They arrived with Ranil’s effigy at Fort Railway Station in Colombo shouting anti-Ranil Slogans.

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The protesters also wore headbands “Go Ranil Go Home” after “Go Gota Go home” slogans used for ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“Relations between the people of India and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly. In the current situation, Indian nationals in Sri Lanka are requested to remain aware of latest developments and accordingly plan their movements and activities. You may contact us when required,” the Indian high commission in Colombo said in a tweet.

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How will the elections be held?

All of 225 members of the Parliament will begin their vote at 10 am and it will be taken through a secret ballot presided over by the secretary-general of Parliament. The votes will be counted and announced immediately.

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Candidates need more than half the vote to be elected. If no-one crosses the threshold on first preferences, the candidate with the lowest support will be eliminated and their votes distributed according to second preferences.

Of the three candidates, Ranil Wickremesinghe appears to be the frontrunner of the race.